Double check my build before I order please?

[Garb]

First build here, and I know you guys get this alot, but can you just make sure I havent overlooked anything? I want to use this computer for gaming and other light applications (internet use). I went AMD becuase from my research Ive found it to be more reliable. I wasnt sure if I really should have done an SLI configuration or not. This is all up in the air at the moment, so if you see something that wont work, let me know. If you have a suggestion, tell me please!

MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138273
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103488
Fan: http://www.newegg.com/product/Produc...82E16835185126
Vid Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102483
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145486
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148104
CD/DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151083
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135137
OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16837102059
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144092
Card Reader: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820176005

All your help is appreicated! If you have experiance with any of this hardware, let me know! Thanks again!:D

EDIT: I forgot to add that I only need the tower and components. Im gonna re-use my other stuff!

[danky]

When i click on the links it doesnt work for me?

[danky]

This should work for me, and whoever else has problems

MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813138273
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103488
Fan: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835185126
Vid Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102483
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145486
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148104
CD/DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827151083
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827135137
OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811144092
Card Reader: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820176005


Again, this list above was used for whoever has problems accessing Garb's List as did i.

[Garb]

Oh, theres the list! Thanks guys! Ok lemme get toghther a brief summary

[Garb]

Mobo:BIOSTAR NF4 4X-A7 Socket 754 NVIDIA nForce4 4X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Case: ASPIRE X-Navigator ATXA8NW-GN/500 Black/Green Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ATX aluminum 500W see-through Power Supply - Retail
Card Reader: Atech Flash XM-28U BLACK 28-in-1 USB 2.0 Internal Card Reader - Retail
cd/dvd burner:SAMSUNG Black IDE CD Burner Model SH-R522C/BEBN - OEM
cd/dvd rom drive: ASUS Black ATAPI DVD-ROM Drive Model DVD-E616AG - OEM
Fan for CPU: Scythe SAMURAI Z SCSMZ-1000 92mm Sleeve Cooling Fan with Heatsink - Retail
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3120814A 120GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM
RAM: CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model TWINX2048-3200 - Retail
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2 - OEM
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3400+ Newcastle 800MHz HT Socket 754 Processor Model ADA3400AEP4AX - OEM
Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100106-RD Radeon X850XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM

[glc]

Don't need XMS ram - value select will be fine.

A SATA hard drive would be a better choice.

Samsung optical drives are not very reliable. Why not a DVD burner? That would do everything and you wouldn't need 2 drives.

The power supply in that case is crap.

Do you need support for all those memory card types? Mitsumi has a nice floppy drive with card slots too for half the price of that reader.

Why a Socket 754 board and a Newcastle? A 939 and a Venice is a much better way to go. A retail processor will come with a good heatsink/fan and a 3 year warranty.

[Garb]

Don't need the fan - the retail boxed processor comes with one.

Don't need XMS ram - value select will be fine.

A SATA hard drive would be a better choice.

Samsung optical drives are not very reliable.

The power supply in that case is crap.

Do you need support for all those memory card types? Mitsumi has a nice floppy drive with card slots too for half the price of that reader.

Why a Socket 754 board and a Newcastle? A 939 and a Venice is a much better way to go.

I knew you guys would be alot of help! I still dont understand SATA so I avoided it. With help though, I wouldnt be opposed to it. As far as the memory card reader, Id rather have more then less. You never know who might want to use it.

As far as the board choice... I dont know, I just thought it was good! :p

Just cuase I thought it was good, dosent mean it is though, so show me which board you know of please?

Mind sending a link to these things? Along with the RAM?

[danky]

First of all you might want to check out Socket 939!

Im not a fan of BIOstar personally.
The PSU in the case is no good so a new one is necessary.
NEC makes really good CD/DVD drives.
2GB isnt really needed if you ask me, 1GB will be fine, unless you have some memory intensive programs you plan to run.

Lastly, your getting a deal on that X850Xt, i remember when i was shopping for my video card (6 months ago), it was EXPENSIVE, if i remember correctly $400-$500+

[Alaron]

Here are some suggested changes. With this CPU you won't need that cooler. And you can keep that case if you like it, just toss the PSU and replace it.

Asus A8N-E Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131530

Corsair Value Select RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145579

SATA Hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148039

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103936

Venice Core 939 CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103535

:)

[Garb]

First of all you might want to check out Socket 939!

Im not a fan of BIOstar personally.
The PSU in the case is no good so a new one is necessary.
NEC makes really good CD/DVD drives.
2GB isnt really needed if you ask me, 1GB will be fine, unless you have some memory intensive programs you plan to run.

Lastly, your getting a deal on that X850Xt, i remember when i was shopping for my video card (6 months ago), it was EXPENSIVE, if i remember correctly $400-$500+

Ok like I said, the more support you give me with links and stuff the better. I was looking primarily at 939's and then for one reason or another, I just ending up seeing that one. PSU, consider it gone :p .

Im NEC shy becuase one of my two NEC monitors broke on me. But if they make good cd/dvd drives, then maybe Ill go with them there.

Im not running anything seriously memory intensive, but I figured two gigs are always better then one. (I almost did 4, but decided that was overkill).

Is that video card really as good as I think it is? I have an Nvidia now, and was shy to switch over.

[Garb]

Here are some suggested changes. With this CPU you won't need that cooler. And you can keep that case if you like it, just toss the PSU and replace it.

Asus A8N-E Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131530

Corsair Value Select RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145579

SATA Hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148039

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103936

Venice Core 939 CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103535

:)


Looks Great! Im gonna take some of this and look around too, so if I ask about something, dont think Im not listening, Im just trying to learn!

What are the benefits of these products over the others if you dont mind my asking?

[danky]

Well i dont think you can take my opinion for it cause im an ATI fanboy. All i know is that 6 months ago that card was brand new, and on TOP. Since then Video Cards have been on the move, new ones fighting eachother back and forth for the past few months. Your seeing new cards alot sooner then you did 6 months ago.

I have an x800xl right now(if i had the money i would have went with x850XT) and its fine for the games i play (BF2, CS, CS:S) Do you play games?

Nec Monitors and Drives are different worlds if you ask me, i have yet to see any problems, and when i ordered them i made sure they were good, from people and online reviews.

[glc]

Okay - can you get that case, or a case you like, without a power supply?

Here's links to a different motherboard, retail processor with heatsink/fan, ram, hard drive, optical drive, power supply, and the Mitsumi floppy. Cost should be close.

Asus A8N5X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131569

Athlon 64 3200+ Venice
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103535

Corsair DDR400 2x1gb value ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145579

Seagate 120gb SATA drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148039

Lite-On DVD burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106014

Antec 500w power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103937

(Note - you can get an Antec Sonata II case that comes with a 450w power supply if you like the looks of it - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129155)

Mitsumi combo floppy/card reader

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16821104104

EDIT: wow - a LOT of posts while I was researching stuff!

[danky]

Quick comment on the 3200+ venice. If your into overclocking, the 3200+ is a champ at that. :p

EDIT: yeah i noticed that too glc, saturday night and we are all on the pcmech forums :D

[Staren]

Do you game? I mean really game? If not two gigs of RAM might be a bit of over kill, but if you have the money it's not a total waste. If you ever do graphics work or video editing, then you will be thankful for the extra gig. Four is just over the top for sure.

If you are shy of NEC (no shame in that, we all have brands we would rather avoid), then I'd look at Lite-On for your optical drives. They have a good rep, and I haven't had one go bad yet and I've used five or six in upgrades and other projects.

[Garb]

I see alot of repeated links, which is great, Ill deff add that stuff to the list.

I dont overclock, and wont. Period.

Now aside from price, whats the benefit of one of those mobos over the other?

(BTW you guys have been a HUGE help and I couldnt be happier right now, thank you so much)

As far as games, Its nothing but WoW at the moment. But I love The sims 2, Black and White 2, The Movies. And all that good stuff. Never got into FPS for the PC, but console I enjoy em for.

EDIT: When I game however, I LOVE having minimal lag, and Id LOVE to max out my settings, think thats a possibility here?

[Alaron]

Biostar has a pretty poor reputation as a manufacturer. On the flip side, Asus is one of the best manufacturers. That is the reason we recommend them.

:)

[Garb]

Biostar has a pretty poor reputation as a manufacturer. On the flip side, Asus is one of the best manufacturers. That is the reason we recommend them.

:)

Sorry I should have specified, I meant the difference between the two you both recommended

[glc]

The A8N-E just has more features than the A8N5X - review the features to decide whether they are worth the extra cost. They are both quality boards.

That's an excellent video card for under 200 bucks. You should like it a LOT for those games.

[Garb]

The A8N-E just has more features than the A8N5X - review the features to decide whether they are worth the extra cost. They are both quality boards.

That's an excellent video card for under 200 bucks. You should like it a LOT for those games.

I know this sounds funny but the spec sheets are EXACTLY the same

The only diff is the A8n-E is an NFORCE4 ULTRA, whats that mean?

[Alaron]

You can compare chipsets here: http://www.nvidia.com/page/nforce4_family.html

The basic difference is the bandwidth available for SATA hard drives, but with the one that glc and I linked to, the basic Nforce4 is fine.

Either one will be fine with your setup. :)

[Garb]

Ok, next topic, the case/PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811146018

Hows that for a case? Recommend another PSU or still the Antec?

[Alaron]

What is important about cases is the power supply. You can get any case you like as long as you get a good power supply.

If you like that one, by all means get it. But be sure to add a power supply such as an Antec 450.

:)

[glc]

Nice case. Expensive. No power supply, your call. You will be spending $200 by the time you are done for the case and power supply. The Sonata II is half that. I'd rather take the money and put it toward a 3700+ San Diego core processor myself.

Alaron - did you notice that the SP500 is actually cheaper than the SP450? (Free shipping on the 500)

[Garb]

I like my cases to be a lil flashy :p

I also like them to have alot of fans, and this one does. Thats the main reason I choose it.

Its a combination of both really, the window and the lights with plenty of fans and room. My aspire case now does NOT keep my PC cool and it worries me, especially when Im in the middle of an instance (WoW) and it reboots becuase of the heat. :mad: Also that card is said to get very hot and Id rather not take the chance. I guess its insurance for me. Thats why Id actually like to replace the fan on the CPU as well, but that might be overdoing it.

Ok so the Antec power supply, that case.

Next on the list are the opticals. Id like two for the obvious reasons. One would play DVDs and the other burn CDs. I dont care about burning DVDs so if it saves me some cash, ignore that feature.

[Garb]

found this for just a regular dvd/cd player as my secondary:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827131417

any good?

EDIT: CD burner for my primary:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106992

Whatcha think?

[Staren]

For your burner, I would spend an extra $10 and get a DVD burner, just in case. You'll find a use for it once you have it I bet. I like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106014

[jayb1234]

That atech card reader doesn't seem to have a floppy reader on it, which is something you might need. Whichever one you get, dont hook the USB cable on it up untill you have the OS installed or it will grab the C drive designation.

[Garb]

Thanks Staren, Ill use that as my primary.

Jay, I literally NEVER use a floppy. Not in about 2-3 years. Ive also heard the same thing about hooking it up. Thanks for the heads up!

[Garb]

Ok I think Ive got all this figured out and ready to go. Last check! PLEASE make sure everything will work ok, and suggest anything, as usual.

Case: NZXT LEXA with no PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811146018
PSU: Antec 500W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103937
MOBO: ASUS 939 Nforce4 A8N5X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131569
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103535
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 120GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148039
Pri Optical: Lite-On CD/DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106014
Sec Optical: Lite-On CD/DVD Player
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106005
Vid Card: Sapphire Radeon X850XT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102483
OS: Microsoft XP Home w/SP2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059
Card Reader: Linkskey Card Reader 19-in-1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820300901

Grand total around $1200.00 after tax before shipping. Not too bad. Ill also get the rounded cables since the mobo dosent come with them. Any othe acc I might need?

[Alaron]

Looks good to me, enjoy it. :)

[Garb]

Looks good to me, enjoy it. :)

Thanks, I cant wait to see the numbers I can get with it. Think Ill be able to max out my setting or not?